Ears
by xpancake
Summary: Ike has a fascination with Link's ears. Link has no idea what to think of it.


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the mentioned characters or game plot references found in the story. Those belong to Nintendo.

-(-.-)-

It had been a month since Link had moved into the Smash Mansion. Even if he was technically a veteran to most, in this reincarnation he was a newcomer, and he had found it strange that he had to dye his hair blond and had to acquaint himself with a fairy. He also found it strange that these 'suggestions' came from two floating hands.

Strange start aside, Link had adjusted well. He talked to Zelda frequently since nobody else understood some of what they said about Hyrule. He also made friends with other smashers and they became a close knit group. Marth could be distant and sometimes worried too much about his hair, but was otherwise pleasant. Pit was energetic and fun to be around, but sometimes sounded cocky and immature. Ike was blunt and sometimes cold, but you could tell he was always there for his friends. Each of them were strange in their own way, and Link had gotten used to it, just like they got used to him contributing little to conversations. However, one of Ike's quirks really stood out to Link.

Ike had a fascination with his pointed ears.

It had started three weeks ago. Ike occasionally glanced at his ears in the middle of the conversation.

"He didn't stand a chance!" Pit was talking about the fight he just had against Wario.

"It also helped that his bike malfunctioned and he drove off the cliff." Pit pouted after hearing Marth's comment, which was the sad truth.

"It was his fault for not checking it before." Marth and Ike shook their heads at Pit's cockiness. Pit merely smiled at pointed at Link's plate. "Are you going to eat those? I love pickles." Link picked the pickles off of his hamburger and gave them to Pit, who grinned as he ate them. The trio shook their heads and wondered how the angel could change his attitude so easily.

Link was about to take another bite out of his hamburger, but he felt eyes staring at the side of his head. He glanced up and saw Ike staring at him. Link merely blinked.

"Ike, why are you staring at Link?"

"Maybe he sees something he likes Pit. It's a wonder how you can be so cocky yet naïve."

Link glared at Marth slightly and looked to Ike for an explanation. Ike merely shrugged and adjusted his headband.

Link didn't see anything too weird in that, there were still other smashers who weren't used to his ears yet, just like he wasn't used to talking hedgehogs and electric rodents yet.

Two weeks ago, Ike started poking his ears whenever he was either tired or thinking about something.

It was the breakfast after a party that some of the villains decided to have. Apparently the entire point of the party was to keep the rest of the mansion awake. It worked, but Master Hand punished them by locking them up with Rayquaza for a month, so the other residents were happy with the peace. Link stared down at his breakfast; he didn't even feel like eating it because he felt drowsy. Marth leaned back in his chair, eyes closed. Pit seemed very close to using the scrambled eggs in front of him as a pillow. Ike rested his head in his hand while he poked the eggs in front of him.

After a few minutes of silence, Link got shocked awake when he felt something poking his ear. He turned to the source and found that Ike, sleep still in his eyes, had started poking his ears. First he poked the point of his ears, then he poked the top of them, them he poked the earring in Link's ear. The cycle continued like that for the rest of breakfast.

"Marth, maybe someone should poke your ears. Maybe it'll wake you up quickly like it woke up Link."

Marth rolled his eyes at the angel. "There's more to it than that Pit."

"Like what? It woke Link up."

Marth shook his head and closed his eyes again. "Forget it."

Link figured it was an effect of fatigue. That idea got scrapped when the poking routine occurred for the rest of the week, whether it be light conversation or forming battle strategies.

A week ago Ike started patting his head before touching his ears. It had started the dinner after a tough battle, so Link was too tired to notice or care, but he did think about how strange it was. Link knew that in Ike's homeland, there were other people that were part animal, and they were divided into groups based on the type of animal they could transform into. He figured that one of them must have had pointed ears.

He had brought that up during that dinner. It was the most the others heard Link talk that day. "Yours are different." That was the only response he had gotten before Ike poked Link's ear, ran his hand through Link's hatless hair briefly, and resumed eating the steak in front of him.

Pit gave then a confused glance and turned towards Marth. He whispered in the prince's ear. "It that a sign of special attention?"

Marth smiled slightly. "Now you are catching on."

The fact that Link didn't mind Ike's behavior bothered Link more that Ike's behavior itself did.

He brought this up while he was having dessert with Zelda and her two friends Peach and Samus. Surprisingly enough Samus made the heavily-frosted cake they were currently eating, but she glared when Peach mentioned it out loud.

"What exactly bothers you so much about that?" Link had no idea how Peach managed to sound so happy most of the time.

Zelda put down her tea. "Hylians have very sensitive ears. Maybe you are reacting to that."

Link picked up his glass of milk. "That's usually a negative reaction though, isn't it?"

Zelda shook her head. "Sometimes, but other times touching a Hylian's ears in a certain way can lead to a positive reaction."

Samus picked up her water bottle. "I think it's obvious. Somebody has a bit of a crush." Samus shrugged when she took a sip of her water as Link nearly choked on his milk.

"Are you saying Ike has a crush on me?"

Samus cut herself a slice of cake. "I meant that you had a crush on him, but I guess it could be seen as both."

Peach giggled. "So, how long has this been going on again? Maybe it's Ike's way of flirting. Maybe the fact that you let him do it is also flirting, and mayb-"

"Peach, it's time to stop talking." Peach tried to swat Zelda's hand away from her mouth. "Even if it does have some truth to it, I think we got Link confused now."

At the other end of the table, Link was silently eating his cake. Zelda shook her head. Peach sighed. Samus took another sip of her water. "We got him confused how?"

"I think he might be confused because of his situation before coming here. It wasn't exactly the greatest experience for him, but that's another story."

Peach giggled. "I want to hear this story."

"Not now Peach."

"Come on Zelda, please?"

Samus shook her head. "Aren't we going off topic?"

"No, this is vital information!"

Samus rolled her eyes and flicked her head in the direction of Link's seat. The princesses looked and found it empty. On a napkin Link thanked them for the cake and for their advice, but Zelda had a feeling the second part was written for the sake of being polite. Samus snickered. "I think he found it very vital Peach."

Around the corner, Link sighed. Samus' sarcastic comment was the last one he heard as he walked away from the table and down the hallway. Zelda was right, he was confused now. He was from a farming village, his life used to be simple; he still didn't fully understand what he was feeling. All he knew was that he had not gotten any answers so far, and he wanted answers.

Within a few minutes, he spotted Ike in the hallway leaning against the wall near Marth's room. He walked up to the taller swordsman and tapped him on the shoulder.

Ike turned his head towards Link. "Hello." He tilted his head towards the door. "Marth takes forever to get ready, and it's only for training." Link nodded. "Is there something you need?"

Link nodded. "Why do you keep touching my ears?"

Ike shrugged. "I think they are interesting."

'_Maybe it's Ike's way of flirting'_

"Why not just ask Zelda about them?" Link pointed upwards to the approximate location of Zelda's room.

"It's not the same thing. Does it bother you that much?"

Link paused, unsure of what he truly thought about it. It was something new for him, but it didn't make him miserable. He didn't completely mind it. After a while it became part of routine. Link started to realize it also became a kind of comfort.

'_Other times touching a Hylian's ears in a certain way can lead to a positive reaction'_

Link kept thinking about how he really felt until he realized Ike was staring into his eyes, searching for an answer. "Does it bother you?"

"I don't know."

Ike stood patiently as Link tried to gather his thoughts. Ike was about to leave and wait for Marth in the training area when he heard Link's voice. "Why my ears?"

Ike blinked, but otherwise his expression did not change. "It's more than the ears."

'_I think it's obvious. Somebody has a bit of a crush'_

Ike expression faltered when he felt Link grab his hand and put it on the Hylian's ear. Link looked up at him. "You have feelings for me, don't you?"

Ike knew the other swordsman was a man of few words, but he didn't know the blond could be as blunt as he was sometimes. "Yes." Ike started to pat Link's head. "Do you?"

"I think I might, but I don't know why."

Ike smiled slightly as he touched Link's earring. "Neither do I." Ike's grin grew slightly as Link rested his head on Ike's chest. The mercenary went back to massaging Link's scalp, and smirked slightly as he saw Link start to close his eyes. "Tired?"

"I just sat through girls talking and probably gossiping."

Ike patted Link's head. Link had a way of explaining a lot with few words. Also, he knew what it was like to be in that situation. He didn't blame him.

"Well, it took you two long enough to act on your emotions." The duo looked up and saw Marth in the doorway to his room, adjusting his crown. "Granted I would have expected a different type of confession, but I suppose it suits you two."

Ike stopped running his hands through Link's hair. "Were you waiting long?" Ike smirked. "Usually you would ask me that question."

Mart shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I'll go ask Pit to train." With that, the prince closed the door to his room and walked away.

At that moment, Zelda and Peach were walking towards that particular hallway. "Aw, poor Link! Why didn't you tell me this sooner Zelda? Maybe then we wouldn't have gotten him so confused."

Zelda looked down the hallway and saw Link resting his head against Ike's chest. The blue haired swordsman was patting his head as Link yawned. A small smile spread across the blond's face. Zelda had not seen that smile since after he defeated Ganondorf. "Peach, I think he's doing just fine." Peach looked down the hallway and giggled her agreement.

-(-.-)-

Pancake: I went to a random word generator and the result was 'ear'. This is the story that popped into my head. Either way, review with criticism and commentary and such.


End file.
